


A Better World than the one we knew

by Mach9330



Series: A Better World [2]
Category: Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Dark Jon Snow, Dragons, Dragons are invincible, Episode: s08e04 The Last of the Starks, Episode: s08e05 The Bells, Episode: s08e06 The Iron Throne, Fix-It, Fuck Bran, Fuck Cersei, Fuck Euron, Fuck Sansa, Incest, Jon Snow Knows Something, fuck D&D
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-17
Updated: 2019-05-27
Packaged: 2020-03-06 19:48:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 18,137
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18857890
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mach9330/pseuds/Mach9330
Summary: Synopsis: After killing the Night King, Jon finally emerges as a worthy King, and both he and Dany work to build a better world than the shit one they knew. And nobody will stand in their way. Part 2 of The Prince that was Promised series.





	1. Chapter 1

**A Better World than the one we Knew**

**Synopsis: After killing the Night King, Jon finally emerges as a worthy King, and both he and Dany work to build a better world than the shit one they knew** **. Part 2 of The Prince that was Promised series.**

**Chapter 1**

**Winterfell**

**After the feast**

Jon was in his room, leaning up against the wall as the fires cackled in the fireplace, having had enough of the party going on in the main hall. He also had a little too much to drink. And due to his intoxication, his mind began to wander about certain things. Like how ungrateful the goddamn Northerners were being to Dany. And they gave him so much shit for going south and parlaying with her. All the Northern Lords, Sansa included, were fucking hypocrites. If he had listened to them, humanity would have been doomed. The North were only one's situated to stop the Night Kings advance. The North and the Vale combined had 50,000 men, but no Dragonglass. All the dragonglass was on Dragonstone. It was a no brainer for Jon. Even if the alliance talks between him and Daenerys failed, he still could get his dragonglass, and they mined it for six months straight. It worked out even better than he thought, as he convinced Dany to put her war for the throne on hold and come help save humanity. Because Jon refused to listen to his idiot lords and his bitch of cousin, he secured another 70,000 men for the war, as well as 2 dragons and all the Dragonglass he could ever ask for. Stupid cunts didn't even have the decency to thank Dany for sacrificing a large portion of her army and nearly giving her own life to give humanity a fighting chance.

That was something else. Ever since he had created Lightbringer with Melisandre's sacrifice and killed the Night King, something had changed within him. Something was forcing itself back to the front of his mind. Something he had forgotten. When he had died at Castle Black, he had warged into Ghost without meaning to. That event left an imprint on him. A change in his personality. He was more feral, more aggressive, more confident, more mentally sharp…more selfish. But the way he was resurrected…Jon wasn't sure what but it was like it was all wrong. Like it wasn't the way he was supposed to be resurrected. The shift in his personality did immediately take hold, and he felt hollowed out. Anyway that didn't matter now, because Jon noticed his way of thinking and his personality was shifting.

Like how he thought of people. To him, the people he cared about was a pack. Rickon had been part of Jon's pack. Jon did everything he could to save him and when he failed him, he avenged him.

He could considered Tyrion a part of his pack. Tyrion had always been friendly with him, the two of them bonding over their shared ostracization, and even Tyrion's hesitance to destroy his sister, had not changed that. Jon would not trust him with coming up with battle plans in the future after the latest fiasco's but Tyrion was still needed since he was smart when it came to ruling, and had been Hand of the King for a while.

Dany was part of his pack. She was his muse, his love. She was sun. The only thing in his life, besides Lightbringer and Ghost, that was real and not based on a lie of Ned Stark. He'd fight for her, love her, and he'd gladly go to his second death for her.

Tormund and Ghost were pretty obvious. No need to get into that.

Some of the others he wasn't sure about.

Sam…he wanted to still consider Sam part of his pack, but with his new insight and way of thinking, he realized now that Sam hadn't told him the truth of his birth because he genuinely cared about him. It was to undermine Dany, who risked everything to save them. He knew Sam was still his friend, but the way he tried to hurt his beloved didn't sit right with Jon.

Arya was still kinda part of his pack. There was still some of the untameable girl he considered his only true sister left, despite how the life she had lived had changed her and how the Faceless Men tried to hollow her out.

Bran was…Jon wasn't really sure what Bran was at this point. Bran had lost whatever humanity he once had when he got his powers. He felt sad for the boy he used to teach archery to and play with.

Sansa, on the other hand, he didn't really consider to be part of his pack at all. She had been a bitch to him before Robert Baratheon came to Winterfell all those years ago and the only thing that changed was that she was smarter about it. Sansa lied to him and betrayed him when she went behind his back by not telling him about the Knights of the Vale. If she had told him, he could have planned a better strategy, and they would have lost fewer men, not risking themselves in a suicide charge. She didn't save him, at least not in his mind. She used him as bait to draw Ramsay out, so she could get her revenge, never mind all the men that almost died for nothing. She gave up on Rickon, didn't even react or shed a tear when he showed her his body. To Jon, that was unacceptable. There was still a chance they could have saved Rickon. Even if there wasn't, she shouldn't have given up on him.

And then, she has been undermining his authority this whole time. Arguing with him in front of his Lords is absolutely unacceptable and made him look weak. She talked about how he need to be smarter than Robb, but the thing is, he already was. Robb trusted the wrong people and only saw what he wanted to see, he broke oaths that he swore, and he didn't align his allies interests with his own. Robb made decisions based solely on a rigid sense of honor. Jon, after his resurrection, chose instead to behave honorably, yet with an intelligence about him that Robb just lacked. After all, Jon tried that rigid sense of honor, doing the right thing and not caring what anyone else thought, and got knifed for it.

He wasn't given much more time to think on this, the crimson red color of Ghost's eyes leaving his as his eyes returned to their normal black color, as Dany entered the room. Jon turned to face her.

"Are you drunk?" She asked. Of a rhetorical question, given the situation.

"No," Jon said only for him to stumble a bit. He chuckled, "only a little bit."

She smiled a bit at the bad joke and closed the door behind her. They stood apart from each other, while Jon tried to think of something to say and settled on talking about Jorah Mormont a little bit. "I didn't know Ser Jorah that well. But I know that, if he could choose a way to die, it would be protecting you."

"He loved me," Dany said, as she acknowledged, as she approached him, "And I couldn't love him back. Not the way he wanted. Not the way I love you."

Jon wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her against his body. "Is that alright?" She asked, love and lust brimming equally in those beautiful purple eyes of hers.

"Better than alright, love." Jon said as he leaned for a kiss, which she reciprocated. Their kissing and passion quickly intensified as both of them moved to take the other's clothes off. But then Jon stopped. He loved her, more than he had ever loved anybody in his life. Even Ygritte could not compare to his Dragon Queen. But there was that small problem about how they were aunt and nephew. Incest was kind of a tricky subject. Sibling Incest was downright abhorred if you weren't Targaryen. Cousin to Cousin marriages weren't considered incest, but maybe that was because damn near every noble has a distant cousin somewhere in the 7 kingdoms. But Jon had been raised by Ned Stark to basically be disgusted with incest. Jon loved Daenerys. He was as sure of his feelings for her now as he was on that 2-week boat trip.

"I wish you hadn't told me," Daenerys said sadly, talking about his true heritage as the only legitimate son of Rhaeghar Targaryen. "If you hadn't told me, I would be happy right now."

Jon looked to her and knelt next to her as she sat down, taking her hand in his. "My feelings for you have not changed, Dany. My love for you now is just as strong as it was on that boat trip." Jon at least had the decency to look apologetic, "But I was raised by a man who abhorred incest, despite the fact that his own parents were cousins. Nothing has changed about my feelings, it's just going to take some time for me get used to this."

Dany seemed to appreciate his honesty, but something else seemed to be on her mind. "I tried to forget about it. For a while, I did. But then, I saw them tonight. I saw how they look at you. I know that look. It's how everyone of the slaves I freed in Essos looked at me. But not here. Not on this side of the sea."

"I don't want the throne, Dany," Jon said, which was true. He didn't want it. He just wanted her.

"It doesn't matter what you want, Jon!" She said as she looked him the eye, "You didn't want to be King in the North, but they thrust it upon you anyway, just as they did Robb Stark! You killed the Night King. You wield Lightbringer. You're the Prince that was Promised…You're a hero. They love you. How long before they decide you would make a better king than I would a queen? How long before they use you against me?"

' _She's afraid.'_ Jon observed as he looked into her lovely purple eyes. ' _She's used to having the love of the people, probably because of all the slaves she freed in Slaver's Bay. But the Westerosi are freed people. And Northerners like their isolation a little too much. They're deeply mistrustful of those south of the Neck for number of reasons. Different religion, for one thing. The North is the only region that as a whole, still worship the Old Gods.'_

"Dany," Jon said as he kissed her hand lovingly, "don't beat yourself up about not having the love of the North. There was a strong chance that you would never earn the Northerners love. They basically hate everything that lives South of the Neck. The love of the people is a fickle thing anyway. One of you-our ancestors, had the love of people when his reign started, and by the end, those same people stormed the Red Keep and nearly killed him."

"Who are you talking about?" Dany asked, confused, as she knew very little of her family history, thanks to Viserys.

"I'll tell you the story of Aenys Targaryen some other time," Jon said as that really was not relevant, except for the point he was trying to make. "The point is, no monarch is loved by everybody. And if you waste your time trying to make everybody love you, you'll be the most miserable person in the world. For me, it took, you know, dying, to figure out that you can't make everybody happy."

Daenerys went still, not sure what to say about Jon bringing up his own death so casually. He had done everything previously to avoid talking about his death and now he was bringing it up as if he was talking about the weather. She figured she should change the subject. "There's still the matter of you being my brother's trueborn son, if Samwell Tarly is to believed."

"Ah, Sam." Jon said as he stood up, "I'm certain he is still my friend. But he told me right after you told him that you executed his piece of shit father and brother. He did it to undermine you, to make me doubt you, and get back at you. Which, good job on killing the Tarly's, by the way."

"Wait, you're happy that I killed them? I burned them alive with dragonfire." Daenerys asked in confusion. Something was definitely changing in Jon. He was becoming darker, more aggressive, more confident, but he was still the man she fell in love with. The man who gave his life to save people so drastically different from himself..

"I would've killed them myself, if I had been there. Randyl Tarly is the same as the Freys and Bolton's, in my opinion. The Freys and Boltons broke the guest right, slaughtering people at a wedding and killed a pregnant woman by stabbing her unborn baby eight times and letting her bleed out. Randyl Tarly raided his own peoples lands and gave the food and gold to an illegitimate queen, who has no legal claim on the throne." Jon said.

Jon held Daenerys close to him and rested his head on hers, closing his eyes, and she closed her own eyes, enjoying his closeness. "Being ruthless against your enemies doesn't make you a monster. I've done that as well. I executed one of my own men when they refused to heed my orders. You told me once that you locked Rhaeghal and Viserion because Drogon accidentally burned a young boy. You had every chance to burn Kings Landing and Cersei wouldn't have been able to stop you, but you didn't, because you didn't want innocent people to get killed in the crossfire. You have a good and kind heart, and it's one of the things I love about you."

Jon cupped her face and she stared into his black eyes. She felt somewhat better after their talk, but she still had growing concerns about Jon's heritage. "We need to do something about your heritage. 4 people, including us, know your Rhaeghar's son. If one of us tells the wrong person, then it will take on a life of it's own, spread like wildfire, and then everyone will know."

Jon, seeing he had been unable to calm her fears, pulled out his final card. "Then we do things another way." Dany looked at him confused as he continued, "We can't stop people from finding out. Too many people already know about my true identity and people are going to keep finding out. You're afraid that people will use me against you, so we take that power away from them. We unite our claims. And then it won't matter who they prefer on the Iron Throne, because our goals would be one in the same. We would both rule, together."

Daenerys's eyes widened at what he was suggesting. "Are you asking me to-" She couldn't get the words out as he stared lovingly into his eyes.

"Marry me, Daenerys. Marry me, and we will put this Battle of Succession Rights to rest for good," Jon said passionately as he stared into her eyes, waiting for his answer.

**Chapter End**

**So, I gotta say, Dumb and Dumber made Dany go insane faster than Euron slipped those three shafts into Rhaeghal…**

**…**

**…**

**… Sorry, too soon?**

**Anyway, Episode 4 was bad, and watching Dany go Mad Queen in episode 5 when there was no sufficient setup for it was just fucking depressing for me, because I really like her character.**

**Now that I've had a chance to grieve and calm down, I do see that GRRM was maybe angling for Dany losing her mind in his books. The show could have pulled it off, but the way they did it was stupid. People keep trying to say that they have been setting Dany up for this since the beginning.**

**Bullshit.**

**Letting Viserys die because he threatened kill her unborn child, the child of the man she had come to love, which likely would have killed her, does not make her mad, that just makes her cruel. The crucifying the Master's thing was overly cruel, but not a sign of madness. In her mind, all slavers were evil at that point. As for the Astapor thing, did you really think she was just going to hand over her favorite dragon. I saw that coming from a mile away.**

**As for the Tarly's, well, Randyl is scum. He supported Cersei, an insane bitch with no legal claim to the Iron Throne, who also declared herself queen before her last son's body was even cold. He also raided his own people. Only the Frey's and Boltons surpass Randyl Tarly on the scum meter. I would have killed him too, though I might have been more brutal by having Drogon just straight up eat him.**

**And Varys was openly plotting to have her killed. He was traitor, even though his betrayal doesn't make much sense. She couldn't just keep him alive knowing that. Julius Caesar kept all of his enemies alive. Ask him how well that worked out.**

**And as I mentioned, the real Dany would never burn innocent people. She locked up her dragons when her advisers advised her not to, due to one accidental death cause by Drogon. She spent all of Season 7 basically trying not to burn down innocent people.**

**If Dany was burning innocent people several times for no good reason before she 'snapped', then it could have been believable. But she didn't.**

**Like I said, no setup.**

**This is just part of a small series of chapters where I will rewrite the last 3 episodes of season 8, because just like ' _Dany kinda forgot about the Iron Fleet',_ D&D have forgotten what good writing is.**


	2. Planning for Kings Landing

**A better World than the one we knew**

**Chapter 2 – Planning for kings landing**

The next day after the feast, Dany and Jon were in one of the rooms in Winterfell, along with Missandei, Greyworm, Tyrion, Varys, and Yohn Royce. Sansa, Arya, Brienne, and Bran were there as well, although Jon was not sure why. Bran rarely ever contributed anything, minus when he helped Jon and Arya kill the Night King by using his powers to take over the Wights around them. Sansa, Jon flat out did not trust, not to mention, had never been trained on how plan for a military campaign. Out of all the Starks, only Jon and Robb had been allowed to learn from Ned on how to wage war. Jon had never gotten the chance to shine like Robb did, unless you count when he planned the defense of the Wall when Mance Rayder attacked. The Battle of the Bastards does not count, as Sansa committed what for anyone else would be treason, by keeping crucial information from him, which caused him to plan a bad strategy.

"Half are gone," Grey Worm said solemnly as he removed half the markers from the map that represented the Unsullied, so they lost about 4,000 men.

"Half the North men as well," Jon said as he removed those markers, which meant the North could still field about 5,000 men. Of those men, about 1,000 had serious or debilitating injuries that would take too much time to heal. The rest were relatively uninjured or had minor injuries that would heal within a fortnight.

Yohn Royce, removed 1/2 of the markers that represented the Knights of the Vale. They once had 40,000 men that they brought to the table. Now, they only had about 20,000 men left.

"How many of the Dothraki are left?" Daenerys asked.

"Of the 62,000 you brought with you, about 4,500 are left, Your Grace" Tyrion said as he placed a horse marker down near their forces.

' _Hmm, so that leaves us with roughly 32,500 men capable of fighting combined, plus 2 dragons, though Rhaeghal is injured pretty badly. He will need time to heal.'_ Jon thought, filing that away for later.

"And the Golden Company has landed in Kings Landing, courtesy of Euron Greyjoy's fleet." Varys said as he placed the marker representing the Golden Company near Kings Landing.

"How many men does that give Cersei, Lord Varys?" Jon asked. It was something they needed to know, especially if they were going to plan an effective military strategy.

"The Golden Company gives Cersei about 20,000 men. She has what remains of the Lannister Army holed up in the city, about 11,000 men. Add the 10,000 or so Ironborn that follow Euron Greyjoy, and she has 41,000 men and naval superiority. The numbers, at first glance, are not in our Queen's favor." Lord Varys said.

"There are not more men in the Westerland Army? What about generals?" Tyrion asked.

"There are no generals or officers with any notable military experience left. Those men, including Ser Addam Marbrand, Ser Harys Swift and countless others, were all burned to ash or kill by the Dothraki when our Queen ambushed the Lannister and Tarly army on the Gold Road." Varys said. Jon thought that was a god send. Basically, Cersei had no military commanders left, and she had no great ability to wage war herself. Yeah, she duped Tyrion, but he's no military tactician either.

"When the people find out what we have done for them, they will rally to Her Grace's side," Missandei advised but Daenerys was not so sure.

"Cersei will just make sure they don't believe it." Daenerys said, rebuking her trusted friend and adviser as they turned back to the map. "We will hit her hard and fast. We will rip her out root and stem."

Jon, meanwhile, struck with a moment of inspiration, felt the cogs turning in his head. Propaganda was useful tool, if used correctly. Like many boys, he had studied Aegon the Conqueror and Daeron the Young greatly. One of the things Aegon often did that helped stabilize his 37 year reign, was the royal progresses, where he traveled throughout the 7 kingdoms, visiting the various lords and villages. Aegon devoted half of every year to making these royal progresses. They also allowed the Targaryens to make themselves known, loved and respected by their subjects, or to be feared if necessary.

' _Maybe we could do something similar.'_ Jon thought as he stroked his chin. He would see what the others had to say first.

Tyrion looked uncomfortable and swallowed, saying, "The objective here is to take Kings Landing without destroying the city." Daenerys looked at him and Tyrion felt even more uncomfortable under her gaze, his constant failure's and her earlier warnings ringing in his ear. Thankfully for him, Varys broke the silence.

"Thankfully, Cersei is losing more allies by the day." Varys said. "Yara Greyjoy has retaken the Iron Islands with her 10,000 men, in the name of our queen. Quentyn Martell, the last son of Doran Martell, someone we all thought was dead, has miraculously returned to Dorne, and pledged his support to Queen Daenerys."

"You are certain it is him?" Daenerys said.

"My spies in Dorne confirmed it. The Lords of Dorne are also not questioning it, so that adds further legitimacy to his claim." Varys said.

"How many men is he pledging?" Daenerys asked.

"About 7,000 men, your grace," Varys said, "Prince Quentyn doesn't feel comfortable pledging more support since Dorne borders 2 kingdoms that currently are undecided on who they are supporting."

"And what is the situation with Stormlands and the Reach, Lord Varys?" Yohn Royce asked.

"Currently, the Stormlands are in chaos. Large groups of bandits have been popping up all over the tumultuous region. There are only about 5000 available troops left in the Stormlands, after they lost so many at the Battle of the Blackwater, and those troops are being used to root out the bandits. At the moment, the Stormlands don't even have a Lord Paramount."

"And the Reach?" Daenerys asked.

"With the death of House Tyrell, and the betrayal and extinction of House Tarly, the Lords of the Reach have agreed amongst themselves to wait out the conflict to see who wins. They won't support Cersei after what she had the Tarly's do, and they are using their armies to close off the Rose Road, but they are hesitant to support you, Your Grace. I have been looking for a male Tyrell relative that we can raise up to Lord of the Reach so we can gain their support, but my spies have thus far been unable to locate any."

"Keep looking for one, Lord Varys. But even with all that, it doesn't really matter how many abandon her, she can still call herself Queen. We need to take the capital." Daenerys said.

"I watched the people of Kingslanding start a riot that almost killed Joffrey when they went hungry, and that was long before winter started." Tyrion said. "Give them the opportunity and they will cast Cersei aside."

"If they were going to cast Cersei aside, they would have done it when she blew up the Sept of Baelor. And the food and gold the Tarly's stole from the Reach has likely improved the people's opinion of her." Daenerys rebuked, which was a good point. "They won't rebel on their own."

"According to my spies, your grace, they don't actually know Cersei was responsible." Varys said. "Her adviser Qyburn, a disgraced Maester who took over a small portion of my spy network when I went to Essos, has managed to suppress those rumors."

"Then we need to un-suppress them." Jon said as he turned to Varys, "Your spies, you can get them into King's Landing without this Qyburn fellow noticing?"

"With all the common folk Cersei is bringing into Kingslanding, I could easily get a good number of my spies in King's Landing, My Lord." Varys acknowledges.

"Then I would suggest having your spies go into Kings Landing and begin spreading rumors that Cersei blew up the Sept of Baelor, along with Queen Margaery and the High Septon with Wildfyre, as well as pushing King Tommen to his death so she could take the Iron Throne for herself. It is known that only the Royal family can purchase wildfire from the pyromancers. She would naturally have access to it." Jon recommended. Jon then turned to Daenerys and said with a nod of respect, "It's only a suggestion, of course. Lord Varys is your spymaster, so it's your call, my Queen."

"And this would turn the people against Cersei, Lord Varys?" Daenerys wondered.

"Most certainly, my queen." Varys nodded, "If I have learned one thing since coming to this land, it is that the Westerosi are a deeply religious people. From what my spies tell me, the previous High Septon was the smallfolks favorite Septon in living memory, being seen as a man of the people, and Queen Margaery was beloved by the common folk by helping to take care of the poor in Kingslanding, using her money to buy them more food and clean clothes. The smallfolk loved her. And kinslaying is one of the worst taboos that can be committed in Westeros. And if Cersei tries to silence these rumors, which knowing her, she likely will, it will only inflame them and make more people believe them."

"Then do it, Lord Varys," Daenerys said and he bowed.

"I will send out the orders after this war council is concluded, your grace," Varys bowed.

"We need to let our men rest. Give them time to recuperate." Sansa said causing everyone to slowly look at her. Jon looked at her in annoyance for interrupting them, yet saw an opportunity to remove them from the council. While it was a viable concern, Jon was certain Sansa had ulterior motives for bringing it up, considering she brought it up right as they got Daenerys to agree to a well-thought out strategy. The previous times Sansa had undermined him and betrayed him left a bitter taste in his mouth. Daenerys was also visibly annoyed as well.

"How long would you recommend?" Dany said tensely. Everyone in the room could feel the tension.

"I can't say for-" That was all Sansa got out before Jon interrupted her.

"A fortnight, Your Grace," Jon said, causing everyone to look back at him, Sansa annoyed that Jon was interrupting her and her super-obvious plan to undermine Daenerys. "I had a chance to speak with the officers this morning. 4/5 of the men have relatively minor injuries that will be mostly healed within a fortnight. The rest are too injured to fight again for a few years or ever again. We'll have to leave those 1000 men behind, but it will give the ones that can still fight sufficient time to rest and heal, and it's not like Cersei is going anywhere. That massive army of hers, combined with the 500,000 or more civilians in King's Landing, will burn through all that food the Tarly's stole for her in a few weeks."

"Lord Jon speaks the truth about Cersei, my Queen," Varys said, "My spies around Kings Landing informed me a few days ago that she has been fortifying the outer walls with modernized scorpion launchers, to shoot down Your Grace's remaining dragons. Her army is not likely to leave their protective range, and they will stay close to the city."

"Is that acceptable, my queen?" Jon asked and Daenerys thought it over, before she nodded. She realized she had nothing to lose by waiting, while Cersei weakens herself by foolishly keeping her army too close to the capital with such limited food supply's.

"Yes, it is." Daenerys said.

"Sansa, Bran, leave the room." Jon ordered, deciding now was the time to get them out.

"Why are you asking us to leave the room, Jon?" Sansa asked, confused at where this was coming from.

"You three have no place on this council." Jon said as he turned to them. "Arya is an assassin, trained by the Faceless Men. We may end up wanting to use her skills. Bran was never trained to military or political strategy like Robb and I were, so he has no place here. Sansa, the same reasons for Bran apply to you."

Jon looked back at the map and said, "And it was not a request. It was a fucking command."

"Jon, I was on your war council during the battle of the Bastards and I have served as your regent while you were gone. I have a right to be here." Sansa argued but Jon was not having it.

"A mistake I won't be repeating. Guards!" 20 Stark guards came in. These were men who were personally loyal to the Lord of Winterfell aka Jon. "Escort Sansa and Bran back to their rooms. And confine them there for the rest of the day."

Bran made no attempt to resist protest and Sansa was ordering them to let her go and she had to be dragged out of the room. The reasoning for Sansa was honestly bullshit, as he had trusted her to rule while he was gone. She had kept the Northern Lords in line while he was gone, but she had undermined him time and again as well. He didn't trust anymore, so he would not have people that he did not trust and people who may have subtly tried to have him killed knowing of their plans.

"You as well, Brienne of Tarth," Jon said as he glared at her, his eyes turning the same red color as his direwolf for a moment. Brienne decided not to push her luck and left to join up with her lady.

The doors closed and the room was silent.

"Jon, what the hell!" Arya shouted.

"That seemed uncalled for, my Lord." Yohn said.

"I agree, there was no real need for that, Jon." Tyrion piped up.

"My reasons stand. Everyone on this council either leads part of the forces, has something to contribute to our war, or they are personal advisers to the Queen. Those three have nothing to contribute nor do they lead the affected parties, and I gave them no place on this council. They do not belong here." Jon rebuked. "Now with that dreadful business out of the way, let's continue."

"So, if we are all in agreement," Tyrion said as he started moving the pieces. "Jon and Ser Davos will ride down the Kings Road with the bulk of the remaining armies. A smaller group of us will ride to White Harbor and sail for Dragonstone with our queen and her Dragons accompanying us overhead."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Hold up," Jon said as he moved the pieces back to where they had been before Tyrion moved them. "What the fuck are you doing?"

"I'm making sure everyone is in agreement with the plan." Tyrion said.

"This was not the plan we just agreed to. How many times has Euron Greyjoy taken your forces by surprise? He ambushed Yara Greyjoy and the Sand Snakes the first time around and then a month later, he snuck up on you and destroyed the ships the Unsullied used to attack Casterly Rock. And now you want to risk not only most of our high command but also our queen and both her Dragons in what will likely be another ambush by Euron Greyjoy? What the hell is wrong with you!?" Jon demanded. Tyrion, realizing he just screwed up again, had the decency to look ashamed and sunk beneath the table.

"My Queen," Jon said to Dany, "with Euron's fleet still running around, it is a bad idea to sail back to Dragonstone. He will likely be waiting to ambush you. He has already pulled off a successful ambush against your forces twice, weakening your army in the process. There is no reason to think that he couldn't do it again. And this time, he might actually bring you down. We cannot risk you or the dragons."

"And besides, Euron's not going to go too far past Dragonstone." Jon said as he moved around next to Dany, pushing Varys to the side, and pointed to the various ports. "Where else can he possibly go? Whiteharbor in the North, Planky Town in Dorne, and Gulltown in the Vale are protected by their own fleets. The Storm Lands have Shipbreaker Bay protecting them, and any port in the Reach, Westerlands, Riverlands, or the Iron Islands is too far away for his fleet to resupply and effectively protect Cersei at the same time. So, let him sit in Blackwater Bay. Let his fleet waste away as they eat through Cersei's limited supply of food."

"I take it you have something in mind for what we will be doing," Daenerys said with some amusement.

"I do, my Queen," Jon replied back with a smile as he traced his finger along the Kingsroad. "We will **all** travel by road to King's Landing. But we will do it at a slowed march, take 2-4 months to get there. This will give Lord Varys's agents sufficient time to rile up the people of King's Landing and turn them against Cersei."

"The trip down the King's Road will also be a political statement." Jon said. "We want to show the people that our Queen is the rightful ruler of Westeros. That she is powerful yet benevolent." Jon looked to Missandei and said, "We can achieve this through carefully planned propaganda, like Missandei proposed earlier."

"O-Your ancestor, Aegon the Conqueror, did this for the last 24 years of his reign." Jon said as he caught himself before anyone but Dany noticed. "He called it a Royal Progress, where he basically traveled throughout the 7 kingdoms, visiting the various lords, nobles, and smallfolk, hearing plights, concerns, and just winning the support of the people for his dynasty. Aegon devoted half of every year to making these royal progresses. They also allowed the Targaryens to make themselves known, loved and respected by their subjects, or to be feared if necessary. It was part of the reason his reign was so stable after his failure in the First Dornish War."

"First, we must determine the order march. At the head of the column must be Queen Daenerys and her dragons. Behind her will be the leaders of her various supporters, in order of importance." Jon said, and everyone pretty much guessed it would be Jon trailing right behind Daenerys, as through him, Daenerys gains the North and the Vale through him. He still was her biggest supporter.

"We can show off the dragons power at several point on the journey, by having them blast some useless pile of rocks or something like that." Jon said.

"Maybe we could melt down Harrenhal some more too." Tyrion joked and Jon acknowledged him.

"That's not a terrible idea." Jon said as Missandei picked up.

"To compliment your suggestion, Lord Jon, we could also have mason's carve out reliefs of her Grace and her great deeds, such as freeing the slaves of Slaver's bay." Missandei said.

"Another excellent suggestion, Missandei," Jon said with a smile.

"You mentioned benevolence?" Tyrion asked.

"We should have the onlooking crowds plied with food and gold, paid for by our army. It's winter, so a little charity in regards to free food and gold will definitely be deeply appreciated." Jon said. "I'd also recommend having her interact with the crowds, naturally under the watchful eyes of some bodyguards. She might forgive debts, console war widows, give blessings, and of course, kiss babies."

"Kiss babies?" Dany asked with some amusement. She had never actually done that in Essos.

"Especially the babies. Showing you are good with kids can go a long way in making you relatable to the people. I think Margaery Tyrell did the same thing in Kings Landing." Jon said and Varys nodded his head as Margaery had done that.

"And what about assassins?" Greyworm asked, concerned about the safety of his queen.

"Then we'll fake it. We'll plant some trusted actors in every crowd that she can interact with." Tyrion said, offering something useful, since by the look on Daenerys's face, she was really liking this plan.

"To answer your concern about Cersei making sure the people won't believe it, My Queen, this propaganda move would ultimately overcome anything that Cersei might try to use against us. After all, what does a mass-murdering, narcissistic, kinslaying, illegitimate whore, have on the Mother of Dragons, the Breaker of Chains, the Guardian of the Realm?" Jon asked rhetorically before he looked at Daenerys. "This would also alleviate concerns about not having the love of the people, My Queen. After all, Cersei might be able to sway the opinions of those in Kingslanding, but she can do little to nothing about everyone else. Time is on your side, and we must use it effectively."

Daenerys was really liking this plan. It would get her the support of the people, and Varys's agents would have time to turn the people of Kings Landing against Cersei. It was a perfect plan. "I like this plan. We will go with this one." Daenerys said confidently.

"We can reconvene to hammer out the further details tomorrow. We've been planning for 3 hours straight." Jon offered with a smile to Daenerys and they wrapped up the meeting.

"We have won the Great War." Daenerys said to those gathered. "Now we will win the Last War."

Daenerys left with Missandei, Tyrion, Grey Worm and Varys. Jon made to follow but Arya made to stop him.

"I need a word." Arya said.

Jon pushed her aside, "Not interested."

"We need to talk, Jon." Arya insisted.

"No, we **don't**." Jon said before he stopped and turned to Arya. "Whatever we might still be to each other, I am still Lord of Winterfell and Warden of the North. Sansa forgot that and needed a sharp reminder. I hope I don't have to remind you as well." As Jon said this, his black eyes shifted to the same red color as Ghost's and this time they stayed that way for several moments, before they returned to their normal color and Jon turned around, leaving Arya stunned at his new attitude.

Jon moved into the courtyard, to see the Maester's Dany had asked to tend to Rhaeghal's wounds not doing their job. Rhaeghal's deep wounds in his belly that were caused by the undead Viserion were still bleeding. Jon walked up to them and asked, "What's going on? Why are his wounds not being tended to?"

"We've tried, my Lord, but he will not let us get close to him." One of the Maester's said and Jon got the message. Rhaeghal wouldn't let anyone but maybe Dany and him close to him.

"Give me the stitches, I'll do it." Jon said, holding out his hand.

"My Lord, he might hurt you." One Maester said.

"He won't hurt me." Jon said as he looked at the Maester, "And that was an order." The Maester reluctantly gave him the stitches and needle.

Jon walked up to Rhaegal and pets Rhaeghal's head, "How are you doing?" Jon asked as he tired to help his dragon relax, and Rhaeghal relaxed somewhat. Ghost came over and stood next to Rhaeghal putting his paw on the Dragon's head.

"What I'm gonna do next is gonna hurt, Rhaeghal. It's going to hurt a lot. But you will get better, alright?" Jon asked, and due to his bond with his rider, Rhaeghal understood him.

Jon went to work and began stitching up his dragons deep wounds on his underbelly. Jon got the first wound stitched up and started on the second of the three wounds when Rhaeghal started roaring in pain just as Daenerys came into the view.

"What are you doing to Rhaeghal!?" Daenerys demanded to know why her lover was causing her dragon/child pain.

"I'm trying to stitch up his wounds, cause the Maester's couldn't get close to him. I still have two more to stitch up, but I can't do that and keep him calm at the same time, so can you please calm him down!?" Jon exclaimed back and Daenerys, seeing that the wounds her dragon suffered against Viserion were not healing on their own, moved over to Rhaeghal and began to calm him down by pet him and whispering soothing words in High Valyrian, which Jon could kind of understand. Anyway, Daenerys's actions allowed Jon to finish stitching up the dragon that bears his father's name.

**Nighttime**

Jon and Dany were in bed, Jon dressed in a pair of loose black sleeping clothes and pants, while Dany was sleeping in purple silk nightgown, her head resting comfortable on his chest. Jon had an arm wrapped around her waist while they held hands. They hadn't had sex, but their relationship wasn't going to repair itself, so they figured it was better to start sleeping in the same bed and spend more time with each other.

"That was nice, what you did for Rhaeghal." Dany said in appreciation.

"He is the dragon that bares my fathers name, and I am his rider. I should take care of him." Jon said, feeling guilt well up inside of him. "He was only injured because I was dumb enough to get trapped by the Night King and got Viserion killed."

"Do not blame yourself," Daenerys said sternly as she stared into his eyes, "I chose to save you. You are not at fault for a decision I made." Daenerys rested her head back on his chest. "Besides, it's was Tyrions stupid idea to have you go North and get a wight to convince Cersei the threat was real. What did that get us? 1 Lannister."

"That's is something I do not understand. The Tyrion I remember was witty and smart. This new Tyrion seems to be making a bunch of dumb decisions. I chalked it up initially to him just not being a military strategist, but some the things he's done don't make sense either." Jon said.

"Maybe I should make you Hand of Queen," Dany said offhandedly, smiling when Jon stuttered in surprise a bit, before he calmed himself.

"Why?" Jon asked.

"Well, your brilliant strategies are going basically win the throne for me, and we almost won't have to do much work ourselves. Just let Cersei destroy herself while building myself up." Dany said with a smile.

"Honestly, I'm just taking what worked for our ancestor and re-using it." Jon said. It was just common sense, to him at least. If it worked for Aegon, no reason it's couldn't work again.

They stayed silent for a moment before he said, "You didn't answer my question from yesterday, Dany."

"It's a lot to ask me Jon. Marriage…the last time I married, it was political. And it ended terribly for my husband. Like you…I need some time to work out my issues." Dany said, and Jon accepted the answer. He was dealing with his own issues, working past the incest and his insecurities about not deserving her love, so he could not expect her to just say yes.

"I will wait as long as you need, Dany." Jon said as he kissed her forehead.

It was then that the door opened. Varys walked in looking for Jon and Daenerys, to find his Queen in bed with Jon.

"Don't you know how to knock?" Jon asked in annoyance at their private time being interrupted.

"Apologies, My Lord, My Queen. I was searching for the both of you. I discovered a matter of great urgency that requires your immediate attention." Varys said, eyeing their position. "However, if you wish to be left alone…"

"No," Dany said as she pulled the covers off and got up. Jon did the same, crossing his arms. "What is it?"

"Your Grace, My Lord, I have discovered something terrible." Varys said before he collected himself and told them. "Sansa Stark has betrayed us."

Silence reigned supreme for several moments before Jon clenched his hand into a fist, his turning permanently red as he growled like the direwolf on his sigil. "What?"

**Chapter end**

**I am firmly of the opinion that Sansa is a traitor, to both Jon and Daenerys.**

**1** **st** **\- she broke the oath to Jon concerning keeping her mouth shut about his heritage that she swore in front of the Heart Tree, and told Tyrion about Jon's heritage which caused dissension among Dany's top advisors. An oath in front of the Heart Tree is a very serious oath. Her own mother made a similar oath to Old Gods and paid for it with the life of her eldest son, her grandchild, her daughter-in-law, and herself. Also, like her mother did to Robb when she let Jaime go against Robb's orders, Sansa undermines Jon by arguing with him in public and making him look weak.**

**2** **nd** **\- she gave up on Rickon and didn't tell Jon about the Knight's of the Vale. Admittedly, there was probably not a chance to save Rickon, but at least Jon didn't give up on his little bro. Not telling Jon that an extra 40,000 troops were on their way, which could be considered treason, because she basically sent him to his death. She withheld information that could have saved his men's lives by helping to plan a better strategy. I wouldn't even put it past Sansa at this point to have been hoping for Jon's death, as she came in at the literal last moment.**

**3** **rd** **\- when the Northern Lords are bitching and moaning back at Winterfell while Jon is trying to secure the alliance that would ultimately save their lives, Robbett Glover said in front of everyone that maybe they should have chosen Sansa to lead them. Okay, this IS treason, and they are doing it in the open, in front of all the Lords of the North and the Vale. Sansa also does NOT reprimand them, and Arya points out in a later scene that Sansa was obviously thinking about being in charge, and the telling part is that Sansa DOESN'T refute Arya. This all tells me that Sansa wants the North to be independent, with her at the helm as Queen in the North. Of course, only way that can happen is if all the male heirs to Ned Stark are all dead. She knew Ramsay was going to kill Rickon, and Jon was likely to die too, give she knew how he acted, and figured he would probably charge to his death.**

**4** **th** **\- There is no logical way that Euron was expecting Daenerys to show up at Dragonstone. Unless somebody tipped them off, somebody who was at that War Council. Obviously, Dany, Missandei, Greyworm, Brienne, and Jon didn't do it. Ser Davos didn't, he's not a plotter. Bran doesn't do anything, Tyrion and Varys had only just learned of Jon's Heritage and wouldn't risk their lives in having their ship attacked. Arya doesn't care about politics. Yohn Royce is an honorable Vale Lord, so he's out. But then we come to Sansa. She learned by observation from 2 of the most deceitful, back-stabbing individuals in the Game of Thrones, Cersei and Littlefinger. Some of those traits obviously rubbed off on her. Sansa also is mirroring Cersei with that whole armored-dress thing, so there's also that.**

**I also checked the GOT wiki, Jon is still technically Warden of the North, which is a higher title than Lord/Lady of Winterfell, so the Stark soldiers would still be loyal to him and follow his orders above Sansa. The other Lords of the North are a different beast.**


	3. Dealing with traitors

**A better world than the world we know**

**Chapter 3 - Dealing with traitors  
**

_Last time_

_"Don't you know how to knock?" Jon asked in annoyance at their private time being interrupted._

_"Apologies, My Lord, My Queen. I was searching for the both of you. I discovered a matter of great urgency that requires your immediate attention." Varys said, eyeing their position. "However, if you wish to be left alone…"_

_"No," Dany said as she pulled the covers off and got up. Jon did the same, crossing his arms. "What is it?"_

_"Your Grace, My Lord, I have discovered something terrible." Varys said before he collected himself and told them. "Sansa Stark has betrayed us."_

_Silence reigned supreme for several moments before Jon clenched his hand into a fist, his turning permanently red as he growled like the direwolf on his sigil. "What?"_

**Chapter Start**

"My Queen-" Varys tried to say as Dany held up her hands.

"I heard what you said, Lord Varys." Daenerys snapped as her purple eyes burned with fiery rage. "Explain. Now."

"I have intercepted a message from Lady Sansa for Lord Robbett Glover. Sansa Stark doesn't know that the servant she entrusted to carry the secret messages between them is one of my spies. He and Sansa Stark are plotting to betray Queen Daenerys by finding out what our plans are and telling Cersei through one of my old spies that is now under Qyburns employ. She hopes that Cersei and Queen Daenerys will end up annihilating one another. They also plan to supplant Jon as King in the North, by having him poisoned, finding some crime he is guilty of and force him back into the Night's Watch, or just have him assassinated." Varys said to them. It made sense. Sansa likely knew that Cersei would automatically disregard anything Sansa said if it came from her, but if it came through Qyburn's spy network, Cersei would not even question it and would think it was gospel truth.

"Why?" Jon demanded with a growl as his red eyes gazed into the fire.

"It's likely due to her past experiences, first with Joffrey Baratheon, then with Tywin Lannister, then Littlefinger, then Ramsay Snow. She has been used as a tool, beaten, abused and raped. She likely wants to prevent that from ever happening again. She believes herself the one best suited to rule the North. Of course, that can't happen as long as a male Stark remains alive." Varys said.

"And don't I know it," Jon said, confusing Varys and Daenerys. "Sansa didn't tell me about the Knight's of Vale when I was planning the battle between me and Ramsay. She didn't tell me we had 40,000 extra men coming to help us, and I ended up planning a bad strategy. She arrived at the last possible second, just as I was moments away from dying. She told me to give up on Rickon, my…little brother. He was only 11, he was family, and she told me to give up on him."

"That's terrible," Daenerys said with compassion for her lover, her anger at this betrayal abating for a moment.

"And even after we won back the North for our family, she constantly undermined me, questioning me in public, and even insulting me privately to my face by saying I needed to be smarter than Robb. And then, there was the whole "Don't go south" argument. If I had listened to any one of my idiot vassals or my idiot sister and not gone to you for an alliance, we would all be dead." Jon clenched his hands together as he sat on the bed. "And Sansa always wanted to be Queen. She's always wanted that since her mother filled her head with fantasies, but back then, she just wanted to marry the king and have his babies. This trauma that she experienced has likely changed her views on it, so now, instead of being a glorified broodmare, she wants all the power, to make all the decisions and be in charge."

"It's worse than you think, my Lord." Varys said as he sat down in a chair by the fireplace, and Dany say next to Jon. "My spy told me about this earlier. While you were in alliance negotiations with Queen Daenerys, the Lords of the North were…shall we say, discontent. They were not happy when you went south. With the tragedies that happened to Brandon Stark, Rickard Stark, Ned Stark, Bran Stark, Lady Catelyn and King Robb, it set a bad precedent. And right about the time you decided to head back North to get a wight to show our Queen the real threat, Lord Glover said to Lady Sansa in full view of the Lords of the North and Vale, that " _We did not choose you to rule us, my Lady, but perhaps we should have."_ Similar statements were made in the Great Hall that day, and Sansa Stark did nothing to refute them."

Jon grit his teeth and clenched his fist so hard that he started to bleed a little.

Daenerys was appalled. Saying that in front of everyone isn't just wrong. "That's treason. And to do it openly in full view of the other Lords? Are they stupid?"

"It's likely that they don't know about my little birds, and believed they were safe." Varys said, as he understood the sentiment. Rule 1 of plotting treason: Don't openly plot treason. If they had kept that plotting in dark rooms with whispered voices, there was less of a chance of them being discovered by his little birds.

"That ungrateful cowardly hypocrite. I forgave him for abandoning House Stark and his insults, and this is how he repays me? Did you know that he said to me when we went to him for aid? That House Stark is dead. He'd rather bury his head in snow and live in fear of Ramsay Snow than side with the family that ruled this land for millennia." Jon's red eyes burned with rage and hatred. Daenerys comforted him by holding his hands.

"He needs to die. They are openly plotting to kill the both of us." Daenerys said. She too, was enraged at this. She had come here, put her war for the throne on hold, sacrificed the majority of her army and lost her oldest protector and friend to give humanity a chance. When push came to shove, she chose to protect the innocent and defend the weak. Her aid saved all their lives and allowed her beloved to kill the Night King, and they did not have the decency to be grateful.

"We can't kill Sansa. She is still technically family. And there are fates worse than death. And as for Glover, I'm his overlord, I have to be the one to punish him." Jon said to Daenerys as he explained why, "The Starks didn't rule the North for 8000 years because we played nice with our enemies. The Kings of Winter were loved and respected but they were also feared. Most of their vassals loved them, but feared reprisal if they rebelled. The Starks were utterly ruthless and without mercy, wiping out anyone who dared threaten their reign. Even House Greystark, when they aided the Boltons and they were kin. When the Red Kings of the Dreadfort were crushed, the Starks kept them around to help them deal with the Andals. The Starks kept everyone in line because even the Boltons respected them and they also feared being destroyed if they rebelled again. The Starks wiped out their kin house, so there was nothing that they wouldn't do. Ned Stark was the first to break this tradition. He had been raised with honor, possessing little of his ancestor's ruthlessness and he passed this on to Robb. Robb was worse than his father. He broke oaths, he operated by a stricter code of honor, and he trusted the wrong people. Nobody fears the Starks anymore. I need to remind my rebellious lords that House Stark is to be respected but also feared."

"There is something else. Now, I learned this from Tyrion before coming here, who learned it from Sansa, who learned it from Brandon Stark and Samwell Tarly. I know Lord Jon's true parentage." Varys said, to the not-really-shocked faces of Jon and Dany, "Which it seems you two already know."

"I learned it from Sam when we arrived. I told Queen Daenerys before the Battle of Winterfell." Jon said as he and Dany shared a quick smile. "Where do you stand in all of this?"

"Your grace, my lord, I know that I have served many kings, but I am firmly in your camp. Even though I see your discontent with the North not appreciating you, you are still the right Queen. You came North to save the world instead of going after the Throne. You care about the common people. You are my queen," Varys said. He was not blindly loyal, but he knew she was the best choice still.

"How did Sansa Stark learn from Samwell?" Jon asked.

"Samwell Tarly was a little drunk and let it slip while he was talking to Brandon Stark while Sansa was in earshot. She confronted Bran and he confirmed it. She plots now to have Daenerys killed so Jon can take the Iron Throne and she can convince Jon to let the North have it's independence back so she can be Queen." Varys said.

"We need to nip this little problem in the bud. Too many people are finding out, and soon, they're gonna want to see our Queen dead and me on the Iron Throne. There is that whole precedent that goes back to the Dance of Dragons." Jon said as he held Daenerys's hand.

"Yes, that is a problem. Question is, what do we do?" Varys said, as he realized what Jon spoke of. Jon and Daenerys thought.

"We lie." Jon said as Varys and Dany looked at him. "We come up with our own version of the truth and silence everybody that can say otherwise. I'll be right back."

Jon came back to the room 20 minutes later, bring a massive book It contained the all noble lineages of Westeros and all the members of every household, including theirs names and physical traits, like eye and hair color. Jon put the book down on the table and flipped through the pages, Daenerys and Varys joining him on either side.

"Here it is," Jon said as he got the Targaryen page. "Princess Daenerys Targaryen, daughter of Aegon the 4th, married Prince Maron Martell of Dorne." Joined flipped to House Martell's page, and found it. "Dyanna Martell, great-granddaughter of Prince Maron and Daenerys, married Lord Ulrick Dayne." Jon flipped to House Dayne and found Ulrick's name. "Ashara Dayne, daughter of Ulrick Dayne and Dyanna Martell. It's perfect."

"What is?" Daenerys asked.

"It was known during the Tourney of Harrenhal that Ned Stark and Ashara Dayne fancied one another. They were even caught abed to together. She's dead now, but everyone was always certain she was my mother." Jon said, "maybe it's time to show that she is."

"Are you sure, Jon? You'd be giving up your real mother and father if you did this." Daenerys asked.

"I wished I could have known my mother and birth father. But Ned Stark raised me. He's the father I've always known. Even though I will never forgive him for taking this from me, he was still best man I ever met. Besides, Aegon was my brother with Elia. There doesn't need to be a second one," Jon said, "With this, we can also explain that I can ride dragons because of my distant Targaryen Blood and my close relationship with Daenerys."

"And your red eyes, Lord Jon?" Varys asked, to Jon's confusion, so Varys got him a mirror and showed him. Once Jon got over his shock.

"Magic. Forging Lightbringer is having an affect on my eyes." Jon said, and Varys shrugged his shoulders in approval. Magic was little understood in Westeros. Nobody would be able to question it because there were no experts on it and the reds eyes only just started appearing.

"Tomorrow, we finish this." Jon said as the three agreed on his plan, while Daenerys formed her own plans for Jon.

**Next morning**

Jon got up early, kissing Dany as he did.

Jon knocked on Arya's door, and she opened it. "Can we speak?" Jon asked politely.

"You going to ignore me again and be an ass?" Arya bit back.

"I deserve that. But no, I won't." Jon said and after a moment, Arya lets him in.

Jon sits down in a chair and thinks about what he wants to say. Arya gets her word in first. "Your eyes are different."

"Dany thinks it's an effect of forging Lightbringer." Jon admits, to Arya's confusion.

"Dany?" She asks.

"Daenerys." Jon clarifies and Arya's eyes widen.

"You love her," She observes and Jon shrugs.

"Well, I would hope so. What with all the late-night visits we make to each other's chambers, the fact we sleep in the same bed. Oh, and then there was the 2 week boat tri-" Jon was interrupted.

"Okay, Okay, I get it." Arya said, not wanting to hear about his sex life before she smiled.

"To answer your question, I do love her. What we have…you might say we were meant to be. I've never been so happy in my life." Jon admits and Arya smiles, happy that her brother at least found somebody, despite being a dick to her the other day.

"Well, I'm happy for you." She said and he smiles.

"And you? I know you slept with Gendry before the Battle of Winterfell. Should I be worried about a blue eyed, black haired Arya the second running around here in 7 years?" Jon asked with a smile.

"No, I took Moon Tea before I slept with him," Arya admitted before she sat on the bed, "I care about Gendry a lot but I'm not sure what I want right now, besides killing Cersei and the Mountain. Being a Faceless Man, being No One…they hollow you out. Make you into an emotionless killer that can become anyone by taking your identity. I was just barely able to hold on to my identity. Adjusting back to being here has been…difficult."

"You know, he was pretty heart broken that night when he asked you to marry him." Jon teased and Arya looked a little ashamed.

"Like I said, I'm trying to figure out who Arya Stark is again. I didn't want to let him down like that but I also never wanted to be a Lady in a castle." Arya said.

"You may not have a choice soon, Arya," Jon said and Arya looked at him critically.

"What are you talking about?" Arya said.

"We need to talk about Sansa. And what she has been doing or hasn't been doing while I was busy saving our lives." Jon said as Arya suddenly knew what it was about.

"Jon, she's on our side. She and I took out Baelish." Arya argued.

"And did she also mention she was the reason Ned was executed?" Jon said, stopping Arya as she had been moving to the door to shove Jon out.

"What?" Arya said.

"Who do you think told Cersei that Ned was having Sansa and you leave? She wanted to marry Joffrey. She couldn't do that if she was back in Winterfell." Jon said.

"She's not like that anymore." Arya defended.

"She told me to give up on Rickon." Jon said, shocking Arya again. "She also didn't tell me that 40,000 Vale Knights were riding to Winterfell. She arrived at the very last minute and kept crucial information from me."

"And then there is this." Jon said as he handed her the letter from Sansa to Glover. Arya read it and was horrified, dropping the letter and sitting on the bed.

"It's not-It can't-She wouldn't." Arya struggled to say. She had been betrayed by her sister, who she thought had changed. Sansa was plotting to kill off Jon, just as she had with Rickon, as she knew as long as a male Stark remained alive, she could never truly rule the North.

"I'm afraid it's true, Arya," Jon said as he picked up the letter. "I've seen Cersei recently. She and Sansa dress the same, what with their armored dresses. And Sansa admitted privately that she admires Cersei."

Arya felt like her whole world that she had tried to rebuild since coming back was falling apart, and she hugged Jon, unable to contain herself as she cried.

Jon comforted Arya, whispering, "We are the last of Ned Stark's legacy. The last of the oldest noble house in Westeros. Sansa is a traitor and attempted kinslayer. Bran has no humanity left. He has been hollowed out by his powers. We are the last of the Direwolves. The Last of the Starks. We have to stand strong and destroy our enemies. Even if one of them is Sansa."

"How?" Arya asked as she sniffled, still not comfortable with destroying Sansa, but Jon was right. Sansa was a traitor and Bran did not act like their brother.

"Let's start by going over what the Lords of the North were doing while I was away on Dragonstone." Jon asked.

**Late afternoon in the Broken Tower**

He told his men to find Lord Howland Reed and tell him that he wanted to speak with him in the Broken Tower, the place where Bran fell and broke his spine. Finally, an hour later, Lord Howland was escorted to the top floor of the Broken Tower.

"Guard the entrance downstairs." He told his men and the men left to do so.

"Lord Howland." Jon greeted.

"Lord Jon," Howland said, a little unnerved by Jon's red eyes.

"I asked you here because we have some things to discuss. Namely my heritage." Jon said, making Howland's eyes widen.

"You know, then?" Howland asked, and Jon nodded.

"I know what everyone says. I know that it's all lies, created to undermine my Queen." Jon said as he glared at Howland.

"My lord," Howland tried to say but Jon steam-rolled over him, gripping Lord Howlands collar and pulling him close.

"My father was Ned Stark. My mother was Ashara Dayne. My ability to ride dragons is due to my grandmother on Ashara's side being the descendant of Daenerys Targaryen and Maron Martell. DO. I. MAKE. MYSELF. CLEAR?" Jon growled.

"Yes, my Lord," Howland said, afraid of Jon. Jon clearly did not want his identity as Rhaeghar's son to be made known, and was doing everything to destroy the truth and reframe it how he wanted. People already thought he was Ashara's son, so it would be all the more believable now that Jon had a back up story to kinda prove it.

"Good, because if you ever tell anybody, House Reed will be another house that House Stark has wiped out. But I'll do more than that. I will burn the Neck to ash before I wipe out your house if you do." Jon said. "Now, I know you have a document that proves my heritage. I want it."

Lord Howland Reed quickly pulled it out and gave the document to Jon, which he pocketed away. He did not want to risk his people to Jon's new anger. Jon had a dragon now. He could easily burn the Neck, and they would not be able to stop him if he decided to.

Jon left the Broken Tower after that, to collect the last document proving Rhaeghars marriage.

**Later that night**

Jon invited Samwell to the stable were Rhaeghal was being kept. He told him to bring all the documents that said he was Rhaeghar's son.

"I've got them all right, Jon." Sam said.

"I would see them." Jon said as Sam did so. Jon looked through all of them, getting the closure he needed about his identity by reading them.

"You know Sam," Jon said as he picked up all the documents, as well as the one Howland gave him, and stood by the fire. "Some time ago, you said that I gave up my crown to save my people. And you asked if Daenerys would do the same."

"Well, I suppose we will never have to find out," Jon said as he unceremoniously tossed them all in a nearby brazier and let them burn .

"Jon, what are you doing!? Those were the only documents that proved your legitimacy!" Sam said with wide eyes as Jon glared at him.

"I don't care! Ned Stark was my father and Daenerys is my queen! I will not allow any threats to her reign! You only told me to undermine the woman I love!" Jon snarled as he gripped Sam's collar. "And you're angry at her because...because what exactly!? Your father and brother were traitors and oathbreakers and you came to me trying to start a war, right as we were about to fight the Great War for humanities survival! Because you're upset and trying to get revenge for your traitor family." Jon walked up to Sam so he was only inches from his face. "You told Sansa while you were drunk, and you have started a conspiracy against her. You tell anybody else, and you, Gilly, and your new baby will burn."

"You'd really kill us?" Sam cowardly said.

"For her? I'd die all over again. It's only because of our former friendship that I am not killing you now. But if you let it slip again, I will." Jon said as he pushed Sam into the dirt and marched off.

' _Now, to deal with Bran.'_ Jon thought.

**Bran's Room**

Jon slipped past the guards he had posted outside Bran's room and found him sitting by the fire.

"You've changed," Bran said with that emotionless voice of his.

"I don't want to sit on the Iron throne. I never did and I never will. I will never accept any attempt to supplant Daenerys with me." Jon glared at Bran-No, Bran was a boy who had been crippled that loved to climb and dreamed of being a knight. This thing wearing Bran's face was the Three Eyed Raven.

"It's your duty. Your Honor demands it. A son comes before a daughter." The Three-Eyed Raven said.

"What is honor, compared to a woman's love? What is duty, compared to the feeling of holding a newborn son in your arms?" Jon said, using the words that Aemon once said to him. Jon sometimes wondered if Aemon knew who he was.

"You love her." The Three-Eyed Raven said.

"More than I have ever loved anybody." Jon said as he leaned on The Three-Eyed Raven wheelchair. "Now, I don't fancy myself a kinslayer. But if you ever tell anyone else, nothing will save you from my wrath."

Jon removed himself from Bran's chair. "You will be confined to this room for the rest of your life. And you will never touch another Godswood again."

"You were supposed to kill her." Bran said.

Jon froze and looked at Bran, with shock and rage, "What?"

"Telling you the truth was supposed to set off a series of events that would have led to her losing Rhaeghal, led Varys to betray her, Daenerys to go mad, and you to kill her." The Three Eyed Raven said. "It was all supposed to end with the Targaryens all dead and you spending the rest of your life in the Night's Watch."

"I would never betray her. And why would you want the last Valyrians dead?" Jon growled as he started to draw Lightbringer. If it hadn't been clear already, that Bran was truly dead and only this Three Eyed Raven remained.

"The Valyrians are too dangerous. They changed the world twice already. They must not return as a major power. Forging Lightbringer has changed you. I must return you to your proper path the I have laid out." The Three Eyed Raven said as his eyes became white and he attempted to suppress Jon's new personality and return him to his old and pliable one. The Three Eyed Raven that was once Bran decided that he would be a better ruler since he could see into the future, and see the past. He had laid everything out so that telling Jon his heritage would have been all that was needed and somehow, his visions were not lining up like they should have. He needed to fix that.

Jon felt immense pain explode in his head as he gripped his head. It was the final straw for him. Bran was dead, and this thing in front of him was trying to destroy the better world that Dany and him would create. It was final. The Three Eyed Raven had to die.

"I will n-never be a memory!" Jon gripped Lightbringer's handle, pulling the burning sword from it's grasp, it's fire and blood magic protecting him from the Three Eyed Raven's manipulation. Jon pulled the sword back and swung, cutting off the Three Eyed Raven's head, killing the last Greenseer for good.

Jon breathed haggardly and felt immense guilt. He knew it was the only way, the Three Eyed Raven was trying to undo everything that had been done to Jon. Jon liked who he was now and he would never willingly betray Dany. But this was the boy that had once been like a brother to him. He truly wished it had not come to this.

"My Lord," Varys said behind him, having also snuck past the guards. "What has happened?"

"Bran, he…he tried to use his magic on me to make me his puppet and turn me against the Queen. I had to kill him." Jon said as he steeled the raging emotions inside of himself. "We need to improvise."

"I may have a possible solution. If you would follow me," Varys said and they snuck out the door, but not before Bran's body was tossed into the fire. They approached four Unsullied near the outskirts of Winterfell.

"This man was caught trying to sneak in to Winterfell." The Unsullied said as the had Bronn bound in chains. "He was carrying this."

Jon took the ornate crossbow that the Unsullied handed to him. "Hold on to that." Jon said as he handed it to Varys.

Jon drew Longclaw and approached Bronn. "Any last words?"

"Guess I'm never gonna get that castle the golden cunts promised me." Bronn resigned.

Jon swung Longclaw and decapitated Bronn in one clean stroke. Jon sheathed Lightbringer and said to the Unsullied, "Take the body to Rhaegal. I imagine he is hungry."

Jon and Varys walked back to the castle while the Unsullied carried out their orders.

**Next day**

Jon sat in the main hall with Daenerys on his right and Greyworm on his left. The Lords of the North and the Vale were gathered around the Main Hall.

"My Lords," Jon said as he stood, "I have some terrible news to tell you. Last night, an assassin in Cersei Lannister's employ snuck into Winterfell while we were resting from our victory in the Great War. He snuck into Brandon Stark's room and cut off his head, before tossing his body into the fire, burning it beyond recognition."

The Lords all shouted in indignation but Jon quieted them, "The assassin has already been beheaded and his corpse has been fed to one of Queen Daenerys's dragons."

"How do we know he was in Cersei's employ!?" One lord shouted.

"Because he was carrying this." Jon brought the ornate lion crossbow. "This crossbow, Lord Tyrion and Lord Varys tell me, belonged to Joffrey Baratheon and only Cersei would have it. It's also the same bow Tyrion used to kill Tywin Lannister, so he knows what he is talking about."

"But my lords, that is not the only thing. For we have a few traitors in our midst." The Lords murmured amongst themselves and Jon nodded to his men, who brought Sansa Stark to him in chains.

The Lords all shouted at this ' _injustice'_ but Jon roared, " **BE SILENT!"** His red eyes, combined with his outburst and Rhaeghals roar in response to his riders anger, shut them up.

"Make no mistake, Sansa Stark is a traitor." Jon said as he recounted certain events. "During the War council where we were planning the battle of the bastards, Sansa said this to me. _'We'll never get him back. Rickon is Ned Stark's Trueborn son, which makes him a greater threat to Ramsay than you, a bastard, or me, a girl. As long as he lives, Ramsay's claim to Winterfell will be contested, which means he won't live long.'_ Aye, I admit that there may not have been a chance for Rickon but he was our brother. Family shouldn't give up on each other, but she did. She didn't even cry when I showed her his body."

"Lady Sansa said that?"

"How could she?" A vale lord said, appalled.

"It was her brother." A north Lord said in astonishment.

"Jon, I was only telling you the truth, Ramsay was going to kill him no matter what." Sansa pleaded.

"Did you also tell the truth when you **DIDN'T** tell me that the Knights of the Vale were on their way? Oh wait, I forgot. **YOU DIDN'T!** You were complaining about how we don't have the men, I told you it was all we were going to get from the North, and you conveniently neglected to tell me that 40,000 mounted Knights of the Vale were on their way!"

"What!?" A norther Lord shouted.

"Lady Sansa didn't tell Lord Snow!?" A Vale Lord shouted.

"No, she didn't." Jon said.

"You rushed at Ramsay when he killed Rickon. You have no right to blame me for your mistake." Sansa said.

"My mistake in the battle was due to your negligence! You kept crucial information from me that could have saved the lives of my men! It's treason to keep that from me." Jon snarled. "I see through your games now. During the Battle of the Bastards, you waited until we took the castle to arrive. You were hoping that both Ramsay and I were already dead. You convinced me to fight this battle for Rickon, but then you tried to make me give up on Rickon, because he would have been Lord of Winterfell and not you."

"That isn't true!" Sansa said.

"You've always been power hungry, Sansa. You wanted to be queen of Westeros as a child. When Robert Baratheon came to Winterfell and took Ned Stark south, you were so desperate to be queen, that you betrayed our family, twice." Jon said as he nodded to Varys.

"I can recount this story for you, my Lords." Varys said, "On the way back to Kings Landing, King Robert's retinue stopped at the Crossroads Inn beside the Kingsroad. Prince Joffrey walked with Sansa along the riverbank of the Ruby Ford after she met Ser Ilyn Payne, the king's headsman. They found Lady Arya practicing her swordsmanship with a butcher's son she had befriended, and Joffrey started to hurt him for acting above his station and striking a girl of noble blood. Lady Arya apparently struck Joffrey, and when the prince threatened her with his sword, Arya's direwolf, Nymeria, intervened and bit Joffrey's arm. Later, Lady Sansa was taken before King Robert and his retainers and asked to corroborate Prince Joffrey's claim that he was the victim of an unprovoked attack. Lady Arya tells her to tell the truth, but Lady Sansa was worried about upsetting her betrothal with Joffrey, so she says that it happened too fast for her to know, despite seeing all of it."

"Is this true, Lady Arya?" Daenerys asks her.

"It's…true." Arya said slowly. She still held some bitterness over what happened and what it had cost her all those years ago and it showed. "I was practicing my swordplay with Mycah, the son of the butcher in the King's retinue whom I befriended. When Joffrey hurt Mycah I attacked Joffrey. He nearly gutted me with his sword and the only thing Sansa was worried about was how we were spoiling her day. Later on, when brought before the King, she lied about it, claiming she didn't see what happened."

"That is not her only offence, My Lord Snow," Varys said as he held up a letter, "This is a letter that Lady Sansa wrote to Robb Stark right after Ned Stark was arrested. I shall read it to you all. She says, ' _Robb, I write to you with a heavy heart. Our good king Robert is dead, killed from wounds he took in a boar hunt. Father has been charged with treason. He conspired with Robert's brothers against my beloved Joffrey and tried to steal his throne. The Lannisters are treating me very well and provide me with every comfort. I beg you: come to King's Landing, swear fealty to King Joffrey and prevent any strife between the great houses of Lannister and Stark. Signed, Sansa Stark.'_ "

"Mind you my lords, this is before Robb raises his army. But it is worse, than that." Varys said. "After Eddard discovered that Joffrey was in fact a bastard born of incest and not Robert's son, he told his daughters that he was sending them back to Winterfell on the _Wind Witch_. Sansa defied her father and told Cersei of her father's plans, pleading that she might be allowed to stay and marry Joffrey. Her doing so aided Cersei's plot against her father and got his entire retinue killed. Her view on Joffrey finally changed after Lord Stark was killed, but by then it was too late."

"Lady Sansa betrayed Ned?" Yohn asked in shock.

"She got good Northman killed?" A lord of the North asked in shock. The lords were on the breaking point of turning against Sansa.

"But that, my lords, that is hardly her greatest offense." Jon said as nodded to Lord Varys.

"This was a message one of my spies recently intercepted from Lady Sansa to Lord Robett Glover. It reads, _'Lord Glover, I was unable to learn of the Dragon Queen's war plans. Jon sent me away from the room before I could learn. We will have to be patient to learn what their plans are this next fortnight so I can feed that information to Cersei and the two Queens can take each other out. On the matter of Jon, we need to find some crime he can be accused of so he can be deposed and sent to the Wall. If there is none, then poison or assassination is still an option. Stay true, Lord Glover, the Norths independence will come again. Signed, Sansa Stark'._ "

Daenerys, Missandei, Tyrion, Arya, The Lords of the North and even the Lords of the Vale were still in stunned silence. Everyone always thought Sansa was loyal to family and to the North, a true Stark. But the attempted and planned kinslaying, the betrayal of Ned Stark which resulted in the death of many good Northmen and led to Ned's fate, and betraying Jon by not telling him about the Knights of the Vale and sending him and Rickon to their deaths, all of this was damning.

And then there was Robbett Glover. Jon had forgiven him for not standing with House Stark during the Battle of the Bastards, and he was one of the first to declare him king, but now it was revealed that he was a traitor.

"Seize him!" Daenerys ordered her Unsullied and Glover was clapped in chains before he could resist.

"Traitors!" Some Lords shouted.

"Oathbreakers!" Some more lords shouted.

"Kinslayer!" Some Vale Lords shouted at Sansa.

"How could you!?" Arya shouted at Sansa as Jon was forced to hold her back from drawing her weapons on Sansa. "He's our brother! And you tried to have him killed! Why!?"

"Because he isn't worthy of ruling the North. He gave up his crown to a southern ruler. I would be a better ruler than he would. But I couldn't do that as long a son of my father was alive. I knew Ramsay was going to kill Theon, but I hoped Jon would rush to his death. I deserve to rule Winterfell after all the suffering I endured in the South." Sansa said with a sneer that reminded Arya and Jon of Cersei Lannister.

"And you, Lord Robett Glover? What's your excuse for betraying me and discussing treason in the halls of my home, and then abandoning us in the Great War?" Jon demanded as he comforted Arya.

"I swore my oaths to you as King in the North. You are no longer a king. You gave up your crown for a foreign whore and a Targaryen at that! You've lost my loyalty for the last time." Glover said and the Unsullied drew their weapons for the insult to their Queen, but Daenerys spoke a quick command to stop them.

"You ungrateful, cowardly, hypocrite. You abandon us after swearing oaths yet come scurrying back the second we win. I forgave you once for abandoning House Stark and your insults. I will not do so again." Jon said as his red eyes glared at them both.

"Do you all know why I gave up my crown? It wasn't because she forced me too, SHE SAVED MY LIFE!" Jon roared, the feel of the words as they finally came out like a weight lifted off his chest. "We went beyond The Wall to capture a wight, not just to take it to King's Landing to show Cersei, but to show Daenerys the threat. We got trapped, we were surrounded by the dead. Four in our ranging party had already been killed and the rest of us would have been too if not for her. We were surrounded by the dead, the Night King and the White Walkers, we were all going to die there. Until Queen Daenerys showed up."

Jon took a deep breath before continuing. "She came for us when no one else would have or could have. She came for us knowing full well she could die there too. She lost a fucking dragon saving us! She risked her life to save mine beyond The Wall knowing it could mean her own death. She put off her war against Cersei indefinitely until the dead were defeated, knowing it could have meant her own death."

"Queen Daenerys is the only reason we even had a chance at victory. You all sneer at me for meeting with her, but it's because I chose to ignore your stupid advice that we got an extra 70,000 men, 2 dragons, and all the dragonglass we could ever want. Her most trusted advisor and protector was a Northman. I may have dealt the final blow to the Night King, but I would never have gotten close if she hadn't been here! She is Savior of the North, the real hero of the Long Night. She is the only reason that we, our families, and our people are not undead meat puppets for the Night King and you still treat her with suspicion and act as if she is her father!"

"I know many of you were swayed by Greatjon's speech years ago about Northern Independence. Jon Umber and many of you liked to remember a time when the North governed itself. Well, since you all have forgotten, let me remind you all about how that time was terrible to live in!" Jon said the Lords attention on him, "We were surrounded by enemies on all sides. To the west was the Ironborn. To the east was the Vale. To the North was the freefolk and the Skagosi. Everyone in the South was our enemy because we are the last bastion of the First Men and the Old Gods. Our people were always starving and then they're were the constant invasions we had to beat back. Submitting to Aegon the First, didn't just save us all, it changed everything. Suddenly, all these people that were our enemies were trading with us. Food was coming in from the Reach and Riverlands for the first time in thousands of years, feeding our people and helping more survive the long winters. It was by no means perfect, but it was certainly better than the alternative of constant warfare."

"The dream of Northern Independence is dead, My lords." Jon said, "There's no food left in our stores or in the fields. It was all used up in the War against the Whitewalkers and in retaking the North from the Boltons. All of our people will die from starvation and for what, our pride? Our autonomy? That's not worth the people of this kingdom dying of starvation. All that would be left is a true wasteland of our nation."

"Besides, Greatjon once said that the Dragons are all dead." Jon drew Lightbringer and pointed at Daenerys. "Well, the last dragon sits right there! The Breaker of Chains, The Mother of Dragons, The Savoir of the North. The Dragon Queen." With that, Jon knelt to Daenerys.

Lord Rodrick Forrester got up and addressed his fellow Lords. "Lord Jon is right. This last summer was 10 years long and winter will be at least that long. Most if not all of our people will starve to death. And that's if Cersei doesn't try to starve us out. Our people don't deserve that fate. If our pride and honor is worth more to us than our people having a future, then we don't deserve to rule the North." Rodrick knelt, declaring Daenerys the Dragon Queen.

Lord Wyman Manderly got up and addressed the crowd of Lords. "I'll have peace on those terms. Being an independent kingdom again sounds nice, but it's only brought us misery these last 8 years. Lord Jon and Lord Forrester are right. It isn't worth all of our people dying. Even with the Manderly fleet bringing trade and fish into the North, most of our people will still die. The loss of our autonomy is a small price to pay, to make sure there is a North left for our children." Wyman knelt and declared Daenerys the Dragon Queen.

"The Dragon Queen!" Jon proclaimed Daenerys one more time. Seeing their Lord, and two more of their fellow Lords, along with the cold logic of Jon's reasoning, convinced the Lords that Jon was right, and they raised their swords and knelt, declaring Daenerys the Dragon Queen in a chant that echoed throughout Winterfell. Sansa and Glover watched with regret and anger as the dream of Northern independence that began with Greatjon Umber, finally died for good.

"Now then," Jon said as he collected himself after getting his lords back on his side. "Sansa Stark, your crimes are too great to forgive. I strip you of the Stark name and recognize no blood ties with you. You will not be buried in Winterfell's crypts as you are unworthy of the honor. You will not be beheaded, because I don't fancy myself a kinslayer. You will be given over to the Silent Sisters."

"My Lord, she betrayed you. Northern Law would demand she be executed." One of the Lords said.

"Her crimes are indeed worthy of such a fate." Jon said solemnly. "Yet even up here in the North, no man is as cursed as a kinslayer. And do not think this a mercy. Joining the Silent Sisters, for my traitorous sister, is fate worse than death. She will never bare children. She will never hold money or political power again. She will spend the rest of her life serving the gods of the Andals." Jon, in reality, was emulating Tywin Lannister, and doing what Tywin had done to the daughters of Walderan Tarbeck during the Reyne-Tarbeck Rebellion. His answer seemed to satisfy the lords once they realized this was a much more cruel punishment than just killing her.

"As for you, Glover, I will suffer no more traitors from your family. You and your family will be put to death for your crimes and the lands of House Glover and House Whitehall will be given to House Forrester."

"You can't do this to my family, bastard!" Glover shouted while the Unsullied held him back.

"I can and I am. Your family will be beheaded, but you, traitor. Your punishment, is the Blood Eagle." Jon announced, to the horror of Glover and the Northmen.

"What's a Blood Eagle?" Daenerys whispered to her advisors, who of the 4, only Tyrion and Varys knew.

"It's…probably easier to let him show you, your grace." Tyrion said, numb from a conversation he had with Daenerys yesterday.

_**Flashback** _

_Tyrion entered the room where Daenerys, Missandei, Grey Worm, and Varys. "My Queen, you wanted to speak with me?" Tyrion asked._

" _Yes. Please take a seat, Lord Tyrion." Daenerys said. Tyrion hops onto a seat and Daenerys looks at him. "We need to talk about your constant blunders as my Hand."_

" _Your Grace," Tyrion tried to say but she held up her hand._

" _Your constant blunders as my hand have been detrimental to my war efforts. I'm not even to go into the deal you made with the Slaver's. Your plans for Kingslanding lost me all three of my initial allies. First, Ellaria, the Sand Snakes, and Yara were lost. Then, your plan to take Casterly Rock lost us the Tyrells and the support of the Reach. It was only the advice of Jon Snow that allowed me to deal a major blow to Cersei's army and remove the Tarly's as a threat, while you wanted me to keep blockading Kings Landing, which didn't work, because of all the food the Tarly's stole from the Reach before I killed them." Daenerys said._

" _Your second major blunder concerns Cersei. You had me convinced that she would honor her word. Whatever it is you two discussed by yourselves, I cannot say. I also don't care because it does not matter. Cersei not only didn't send her small army to fight for the living, she hired the Golden Company, bolstering her diminished forces. In fact, it might be a good thing that she didn't send her forces North, because we could have been stabbed in the back by the Lannisters." Daenerys said._

" _I'm sorry, Your Grace. I know I have failed you, but…"_

" _Then there's this latest blunder." Daenerys continued. "Jon Snow was right, your bad plan could have ended up with me losing important advisors, not to mention, possibly my own life, and maybe my dragons as well."_

" _With all this taken into account, you are done being my Hand of the Queen. I would like to at least keep you on in an advisory capacity, as you have given useful advice and there may be a position on the Small Council for you when we take King's Landing. But until I am done with my war with the Lannisters, I can't have someone who is blinded by familial loyalty as my right hand." All this downtime had given Daenerys some time to see things properly. Tyrion loves Jaime dearly, and will be loyal to him first and foremost. And while he may claim to hate Cersei, he obviously did not want her dead. This had already proven to be a problem. She needed to fix this before it cost her again._

_Tyrion, realizing that this time he had lost his position as Hand because he actually screwed up too many times instead of having it usurped by his father, numbly took the pin off and gave it to Daenerys. "May I at least know who will take my former position, my Queen?" Tyrion asked._

" _I have somebody in mind." Daenerys said wryly._

_**End Flashback** _

The sound of a sword cutting off a head and a sizzling of flesh brought Tyrion out of his own mind. Everyone was gathered outside in the courtyard. He saw Jon walking away from the beheaded bodies of Lord Glovers wife and children. Lightbringer's flame covered blade cauterized the wounds it caused, so no blood came out of the headless stumps or the heads, but it didn't make Tyrion feel any better.

Sansa had already been dealt with, sent off by boat to join the Silent Sister's in Oldtown, with 100 Unsullied men to ensure she got there. Privately, Jon had Sansa's tongue ripped out with hot pincers and had her hair burned off before sending her away.

Jon sheathed Lightbringer and walked over to where Robett Glover was. Glover's upper body was bare and his arms were chained to post and held out.

Jon unsheathed his knife and moved behind Glover. "I admit, these kinds of things I don't normally take pleasure in," Jon whispered to Glover menacingly, "But I have to admit, I am going to enjoy this."

Jon didn't waste another moment and carved open his back with his knife, from his waist all the way up to his rib cage. The snow around Glover was soon red with his blood. To the old man's credit, he didn't scream, though he looked like he was barely holding out.

"Tormund, axe", Jon requested once Glover's back was sufficiently carved open and he walked towards Tormund and taking the offered axe.

With Tormund's axe in his blood-soaked hands, Jon struck it down on the open wound and began severing Glover's ribs from his spine. At the first swing of the axe, Glover cried out in pain, screaming for the Gods to hear. Blood spurted out of Glover's back with each swing of the axe and some of it covered Jon's face, dripping down his beard and onto the already blood-soaked snow.

The sound of agonizing screams and bone shattering was clearly too much for many of the Lords gathered, who had never witnessed such an execution. Varys, Tyrion, and Greyworm could only stomach so much before they had to turn away. Missandei had to close her eyes and turn into Greyworm's shoulder, the brutality far beyond anything she ever witnessed in Astapor. Even Arya, the cold assassin of the faceless men, had to turn away from the act, and accidentally into Gendry's arms, making the man feel a bit awkward before he comforted her.

Daenerys herself, however, was able to keep her eyes on it the whole time, probably because she had ordered acts of violence before, like burning people to death and the atrocities she witnessed in Slaver's bay and in Drogo's Dothraki horde, so she was largely numb to violence.

It was gruesome to watch. Seeing Glover's ribs being snapped away from his spine one by one but Dany took a sadistic pleasure in seeing the traitor suffer and from the smirk on Jon's handsome face, he was enjoying it too. The traitor betrayed them right before the battle and kept 2100 men that could have been used.

Jon swung the axe mercilessly, cracking bones and ripping them from Glover's spinal cord with each swing. More blood spilled from Glover's back after another swing of the axe. Glover could no longer keep his head up, his voice was hoarse from all the screams of pain, and the pain contorting his face was obvious. With a final crack of bone, Jon had pulled his rib cage apart and he tossed the bloodied axe to the ground.

Daenerys watched as he pulled out Glover's lungs, laying them on his shoulders so they looked like the folded wings of a great eagle.

Jon stepped back towards her and they stood side by side as Glover suffered a most painful death. Blood oozed out of his mouth and down his chest, his breathing slowed down and yet every moment was pure agony until he finally faded.

Jon knew that Glover would never have betrayed their cause if he knew this was his fate. And now, the rest of the Northern Lords knew it as well. Though Jon still loved Robb like a brother, Robb was to the Starks what Tytos Lannister was to the Lannister's. Robb broke his marriage vow to House Frey by marrying Talisa. He trusted an idiot like Edmure Tully to command part of his armies and let go of one of his most valuable hostages aka Theon Greyjoy, which cost him Winterfell and made him look weak. He did nothing to secure his bannerman's loyalty. Rickard Karstark was admittedly a tough decision. Keep Rickard alive, and you look weak. Kill him and you lose the Karstarks.

All in all, their families respect and reputation was destroyed because of Robb. Barely anybody respected the Starks anymore. More importantly, nobody feared the consequences of defying them. Tywin solved his families problems by completely wiping out two rebellious houses, which brought respect, fear and prestige back to the Lannister name. Jon would solve his families issues by doing something similar. Wipe out the traitors with a viscous and brutal punishment, while raising up the loyal lords.

"It's done," Jon said to Daenerys.

"And how do you feel?" Daenerys said with concern.

"I'm fine. I regretted what I had to do with Sansa, but it was necessary. I should be asking how Arya feels." Jon said as he looked at Arya.

"I don't know." Arya said with a sob, "Sansa was our sister but she betrayed us. She got Rickon killed, she plotted to kill you."

"I know," Jon said as Arya hugged him.

As Jon comforted Arya, he looked at Tyrion and noticed something. He turned to Daenerys and said, "Looks like Tyrion has been demoted."

"Tyrion's blunders were too much to stomach this time." Daenerys said.

"So who will you pick to be your Hand?" Jon asked in curiosity.

"I have someone in mind. My fellow dragon-rider, my white wolf," Daenerys said as she held out a hand with the pin resting in it for Jon, "My strong right Hand."

Everyone was shocked at what Daenerys was offering. The Hand of the King/Queen was the 2nd most powerful position in the land. Jon had to admit, it was tempting. All that power, if he only accepted.

"I'm not worthy, my queen." Jon said, still having some of his old values.

"I decide if you are worthy, Jon Stark," Daenerys said, shocking everybody again, "In addition to this, I'm also legitimizing you as a Stark."

Jon knelt before Daenerys, "I swear, I will serve you to the best of my ability, my Queen."

"I know you will. You've already given me good council even before we joined forces. You'll continue to give me good counsel in the future." Daenerys said as she pinned the Hand of the Queen pin on his clothing.

The Lords of the North were not sure what to think of this. The last time a Northern Lord was made a Hand, it didn't end well. Then again, the honorable Ned Stark was not really suited for the south. This Jon Stark was more ruthless and calculating than Ned Stark was. He didn't operate on honor though he did act honorably, or try to, at least.

"There is one more honor I would bestow upon you, if you would have it." Daenerys said, causing Jon to look at her.

"What is it, My Queen?" Jon Stark asked.

Daenerys smiled and said, "Some of you may know of the Pact of Ice and Fire. The Pact of Ice and Fire was an alliance between Houses Stark and Targaryen arranged during the Dance of the Dragons. Essentially, a daughter of House Targaryen for a son of House Stark. If Lord Jon Stark would have it, I would see that pact finally fulfilled."

Jon looked at his beloved with some hope and Daenerys looked Jon with a smile, her eyes brimming with love. "Marry me, Jon Stark."

**Chapter End**

**To be honest, Northern Independence sounds great, but in the age before Aegon, I doubt it was so Great. Surrounded by enemies on all sides, starving to death. Yeah, must have been real great(Cue sarcasism). Greatjon, in my view, tended to look at the old days of the Stark Kings with rose-tinted glasses. And realistically, after the war with the White walkers, there should be barely any food left. The North would be dependent on the south for food. To our knowledge, the Riverlands still aren't producing food because of how ravaged they were by Tywin and the Mountain.**

**Let's also talk about the Council scene at the end. It solves absolutely nothing.**

**I think the scene was trying to say that hereditary inheritance of the Monarchy is the cause of the 8 years of war for the Seven Kingdoms, so democracy is the way to go. First off, in Westerosi society, being the son of the current king is the most secure way to ensure a peaceful transition. The reason for the wars is, aside from other elements guiding Westeros towards it, a certain stupid blonde whore named Cersei Lannister thought she could get away with NOT bearing Robert's children and then tried to ignore Robert's will, which led to everything else. It was the same situation that beget the Dance of Dragons, aka ignoring the King's will and chosen heir, usurping the sucession. The 1st Blackfyre Rebellion was also similarly done. It's not lineage that's the problem, but greedy people usurping the line of succession.**

**Then there's the democracy itself. Ignore for a moment how OP Bronn was made and D &D are idiots for ignoring every part of Westerosi except Kings Landing and Winterfell. Lets focus on the system itself. Everytime the king dies, a new king will be chosen by the six Lord Paramounts, all of whom have different motivations. They can even nominate themselves. Cause that's gonna work out so well.**

**Let's Talk about Bronn for a moment. He is basically now as powerful in canon as House Tyrell was before they were wiped out. He controls the most influential and powerful region in all 7 kingdoms, since the Lannister have no gold left in the mines. The Reach supplies most of the crops, wine, and livestock to the other 7 kingdoms, and they have the biggest army. What's to stop Bronn from pushing his political might on the weaker kingdoms once he realizes how powerful he is. Would be awfully inconvenient for a starving population if that supply were to be suddenly cut off, because some lord didn't support Bronn.**

**Go watch "Why Tyrion's Solution For Westeros Doomed Everyone" on youtube by alternate history hub. He goes into further detail.**


End file.
